The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is pleased to announce that the Polish former professional cyclist Maja Włoszczowska (mountain bike) has been elected President of the UCI Athletes' Commission. The election took place during the Commission's first meeting in its new composition on Wednesday 12 November at the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland.
Maja Włoszczowska joined the Commission as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission, of which she is Vice-Chair. Cyclists (active or retired) who are members of the IOC Athletes' Commission or the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are automatically members of the UCI Athletes' Commission and eligible for its presidency.
A specialist in mountain bike cross-country, Maja Włoszczowska competed in the Summer Olympics four times (in 2004, 2008, 2016 and 2020), winning two silver medals, in 2008 and 2016. She was also crowned UCI Cross-country Marathon World Champion in 2003 and UCI Cross-country Olympic World Champion in 2010. She holds a Master's degree in Financial and Insurance Mathematics from the Wroclaw University of Technology.
Elected for a four-year term, Maja Włoszczowska will also sit on the UCI Management Committee until the UCI Congress in Copenhagen (Denmark) in 2029.
The UCI Athletes’ Commission, which has been completely renewed this year, comprises 20 members representing each of the following disciplines or specialities (one man and one woman in each case): cyclo-cross, para cycling, BMX Racing, mountain bike cross-country, mountain bike downhill, trials, BMX Freestyle Park, road, track and indoor cycling. In addition, it includes members representing cycling on the IOC Athletes' Commission and the IPC Athletes' Council.
The UCI Athletes’ Commission has an advisory role, which enables it to submit proposals to the UCI Management Committee. Its main areas of activity are the improvement of conditions for the practice of high-level sport, athlete protection in all its forms, the promotion of ethics and sportsmanship, the establishment of a direct link with the Federation's decision-making bodies, the provision of information for athletes about significant regulatory changes and guidance for athletes after their retirement from sport.
During this first meeting, members of the Commission attended presentations outlining the organisation and activities of the UCI, including, notably, those of its Sports Department. They also had the opportunity to visit the UCI World Cycling Centre (WCC), the Federation’s training and development hub. The meeting concluded with a question-and-answer session with UCI President David Lappartient. Keen to get started, the athletes expressed their strong commitment to working with the UCI to advance the development of cycling in a way that increasingly reflects the voice of athletes, both on matters that concern them directly and on the broader evolution of the sport.
The new President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission Maja Włoszczowska said: “This role means a lot to me. As a former athlete, it’s an honour to represent the entire community of riders and bring our collective voice to the Management Committee. It’s a huge responsibility, and I’ll rely on the strong collaboration of all athlete representatives from every discipline. The importance of the athletes’ voice has grown significantly in recent years. Huge thanks to Katerina Nash for the outstanding work she has done for the Commission — we’ll continue building on that foundation.
“The strength of cycling lies in its diversity, with so many different disciplines — which, of course, also brings challenges. We have both Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines, road cycling with highly professional teams, and other disciplines that receive much less support from sponsors. Each has its own issues, but there are also many topics we all share. We will work together to put our views forward.”
UCI President David Lappartient said: “On behalf of the UCI I congratulate Maja for her election as President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission. Maja had an illustrious career as an athlete and has already done incredible work representing athletes on the IOC and I know that will also be the case for the cycling community. I look forward to working with her on the UCI Management Committee and we know that when she takes the floor at our meetings, it’s on behalf of all members of the UCI Athletes’ Commission, all the athletes and all cycling disciplines. Together, we will continue to develop our sport in all its forms and in all regions.
“I would also like to sincerely thank Katerina Nash for her incredible work and support during the last eight years as President of the Commission. I am delighted that she was elected member of the UCI Management Committee at the last UCI Congress in Kigali, Rwanda, and continues to be one of my valued UCI Vice-Presidents.”
UCI Athletes’ Commission for 2025-2029
President : Maja Włoszczowska
Cyclo-cross: Eva Lechner (ITA) and Felipe Orts (ESP)
BMX Racing: Laura Smulders (NED) and Sylvain André (FRA)
Para cycling: Suzanna Tangen (NOR) and Tristan Bangma (NED)
Mountain bike: Anne Terpstra (NED) and Christopher Blevins (USA) for cross-country; Valentina Höll (AUT) and Andreas Kolb (AUT) for downhill
Road: Juliette Labous (FRA) and Toms Skujiņš (LAT)
Track: Ally Wollaston (NZL) and Elia Viviani (ITA)
BMX Freestyle: Cory Coffey (USA) and Daniel Dhers (VEN)
Trials: Maïlys Jouy (FRA) and Jonas Friedrich (GER)
Indoor cycling: Gracia Sotomayor (PER) and Patrick Schnetzer (AUT)
IOC Athletes’ Commission*: Masomah Ali Zada (AFG)
IPC Athletes’ Council: Denise Schindler (GER).
*Also member of the IOC Athletes' Commission, Maja Włoszczowska is the President of the UCI Athletes' Commission.
Photo (from left to right): Maja Włoszczowska, newly appointed Preisident of the UCI Athletes’ Commission; David Lappartient, President of the UCI; Katerina Nash, former President of the UCI Athletes’ Commission.